Match Maker
by MadaMag
Summary: One peaceful night, Zorro helps Victoria decide who in Los Angeles would make the best wife for her friend Diego.
1. Prologue

Title: Match Maker

Author: MEG

Rated: PG

SUMMARY: One peaceful night, Zorro helps Victoria decide who in Los Angeles would make the best wife for her friend Diego.

A/N: Thanks Katinka for help and Joyce for correcting errors. (But all faults are mine!)

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Prologue

"Buenos tardes, Victoria." The voice was coming from a dark corner. Victoria swung around, surprised. "Zorro!" In just a few steps she was in his arms. He looked in her eyes and gently leaned forward to kiss her. She responded passionately. They finally pulled apart, but only because they had no more breath left.

"What's bothering you tonight, Querida?" Zorro asked.

"What do you mean?" Victoria asked, but before Zorro answered her he delicately kissed her eyelids.

"I was watching you today. I saw that you were lost in your own thoughts, paying no attention to your customers or friends. I know that Don Diego is normally able to talk with you, so you tell him what's on your mind. But today you brushed him off too".

"You mean I shouted at him---terribly," she said with some shame. Zorro smiled at her and embraced her, trying to show her that it was all right.

"I was worried. You sometimes are rude to Diego, but you've never been that angry at him before, without an obvious reason. Did he say something... unacceptable?" Zorro asked with concern.

Victoria looked at him in alarm. "No! He is always a gentleman. I'm so sorry you had bad thoughts about Diego. It was my fault. All of a sudden, I was just screaming at him. He is such a good friend to me and I treated him so horribly. I hope he will forgive me." Victoria was really upset.

"You know him. By tomorrow he will have forgotten all about it," he assured her. "But I don't believe you, that you just went off on Diego for no reason a perfect idiom for this incident. I'm sure there is something more behind it," he stated firmly. Victoria looked at her lover and saw that he was looking back at her suspiciously.

"I was so terrible to him, because... because I'm worried about him," she stated.

"You... yelled at him because you are worried?" Zorro repeated in astonishment

"Yes. I think that's why. He is... so passive and...peaceful and... he is alone," Victoria stumbled.

"Alone? Why, he has his father, Felipe... you." He smiled.

"I mean... I have you... And Diego... He..." Victoria couldn't express herself. "There are women who are attracted to him, but he shows no interest in them. He is handsome, intelligent and rich. He should have a family of his own by now," she said simply.

Zorro was stunned. Victoria paid more attention to Diego then he gave her credit for. But how could he help Victoria, without finding himself in an awkward situation?

"Could you be looking at this from the wrong point of view?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Victoria looked at him. Zorro affectionately kissed her forehead.

"Well, you obviously feel that Diego would make some woman a good husband. But have you thought about what type of woman would be best for him?" There was a strange spark of light in his eyes when he asked her this question.

"What woman would be good for him?" Victoria knew what features a future wife of Diego should have. "She should be gentle and..."

"Querida," Zorro interrupted her. "First at all, you said she must be from our pueblo. So I suggest you write the names of all marriageable women down so we can think about which would be best for him. And maybe then we can encourage him, or this woman, so they get together."

Victoria smiled and nodded. She got a paper and a pencil. She began to write, saying names aloud as she wrote them. Then she passed the paper to Zorro.

"You have forgotten a few names. There are Aldone Conzar and Donna Melisa de Sulivan..." he said with a smile.

"Zorro, you can't be serious! Donna Melisa de Sulivan is over forty! And Aldone... her reputation has much to wish for."

"Yes, but still they are marriageable women," Zorro answered and gave her the paper back. He could think of a few names of a few admittedly beautiful or wealthy young senoritas whom Victoria had neglected to include, too.

Victoria read over the completed list. She read it once more and suddenly wasn't sure if she really wanted to find a possible wife for Diego. But it was already too late to withdraw.

Zorro read the list once more. "Yes, I think now that's all of them. There is only one more name that you left off." Zorro got the pencil and wrote the name at the end of the list.

"So, now tell me what you think Diego's future wife should or shouldn't be like, and I will strike out the names that don't suit." Zorro sat at the desk, so that Victoria couldn't see which names he deleted.

"First of all, she must have a good reputation..." Victoria began.

For two hours she gave him the characteristics that the woman should have. At times they would pause and discuss whether or not a particular woman had this or that characteristic or if that feature was really important for a good marriage. They didn't always share the same opinion, but they discussed each one until they came to an agreement.

"I think we've considered everything. How many names are left?"

Zorro looked at the list. With a mischievous smile he answered. "Exactly one."

"Really? What's her name?" Victoria asked with curiosity.

Zorro folded the paper. "Before I give it to you, I would like to say that this has been an interesting night, even if unexpected." He kissed her. "However I would have preferred to talk about you instead of Diego." He smiled.

"I liked it, too. You almost never spend so much time with me..."

"I'm sorry, querida. Now I'm thinking I shouldn't take up your valuable rest..." Victoria put a finger to his lips.

"The best rest I have is in your presence. And today I have learned so much about you... I wouldn't have missed it for anything."

Zorro leaned to give her a good-bye kiss.

"There was one important requirement have you left out, though," he said as he slipped out of the window. Victoria turned back toward him, but he was gone.

Victoria sat on her bed, unexpectedly worrying about the one name that was left. She had tried to call only general features so that there would only be a few women left on the list. But she had known too, that if she tried to list too many requirements, there would be no women left. She kind of wished that there had been no "good match" for her friend. She was beginning to admit that she didn't want another woman in his life.

Victoria looked at the folded paper. There was only one name left on it: the name of the woman who would be the best wife for Diego.

She didn't know who she is, but she already didn't like this woman. The woman who would take Diego from her life, the woman who, regardless of what the paper said, didn't deserve to be his wife.

After a sigh Victoria opened the paper. She scanned the list. Every name had been marked through, most of them two or three times. Every name except the last one.

Victoria Escalante.

The name that Zorro himself had added to the list.

Victoria recognized what requirement she had left out: that the future wife of Diego shouldn't be Zorro's own intended bride.

This recognition shook her. Finally she understood that she didn't want Diego to be anyone else's husband. She didn't want him to be married. The only person that she would accept as Diego's wife _was_ Victoria Escalante.

Even if she truly loved Zorro.


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: Thakns for all reviews!

Usually I post the whole story at one time, this time I'm going to do it in parts. So, if you have some suggestions please let me know (However, I don't promise I will hear of it :-) )

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Chapter 1

Victoria had overslept. She knew that she should get up and go to work. However, today she just didn't feel up to it. Pilar, alarmed when she wasn't in the kitchen, came upstairs to see if she was alright. Seeing that Victoria wasn't feeling good, she offered to take care of the few guests herself today. Gratefully, Victoria accepted her offer. A few minutes later, Pilar came back with an herb tea. She said that Don Diego, hearing that Victoria didn't feel well, asked Pilar to take this medicine to her.

Victoria thanked her, and after Pilar left the room, her mind went back to the previous night.

Last night... it wasn't unpleasant. On the contrary, it was nice...even if a bit weird. Victoria couldn't stop herself from wondering. Is it possible, that the best wife for Diego is... herself? That couldn't be... or could it?

Victoria took the list from the place where she had hidden it, and studied it. There were some very nice girls on that list. Is it possible that she and Zorro crossed them out too fast?

Victoria thought hard about these girls. Finally she came to the conclusion that, yes, these girls were nice, but... they weren't perfect... for Diego. And Victoria had decided that if she was going to try to find Diego a wife, that woman must be the woman who would be the very best one for him.

Considering all of the names on the list, she herself was undeniably the best choice. Victoria wondered – didn't Zorro see her faults, or did he really think she would be the best wife for Diego? Why didn't he cross her name out? Why did he even put her name on that list at all?

"How did I get myself into this whole situation in the first place?" she asked herself, her thoughts racing.

Victoria thought about the betrothal party for Don Amand, the younger son of don Hector. Diego asked her to go there with him. She agreed to go, explaining that she would do it only because she didn't want to see him be the only man there without a date. She would never tell him that she liked to go out with him. Diego was a good compadre. Sometimes Victoria didn't really feel comfortable at these parties, because she didn't think that she belonged to this class, but Diego always made sure she had a good time.

This time, as well, she enjoyed herself. She joked with Diego, until Don Alejandro came over to speak with her. Some time later, one of the dons called Don Alejandro, and he excused himself. Victoria was standing alone, looking for Diego, when a few young dons approached. They didn't see her standing near them.

"I heard Don Alejandro de la Vega tell my father a few minutes ago, that he hopes this big party makes Don Diego think about getting married himself," Don Amand said to his friends, and they started laughing. It was well known that Don Diego had been refusing to marry ever since he came home from Madrid four years ago.

"Someone ought to persuade him to marry. It's a pity that such a wealthy and good-looking caballero like Don Diego is still single.

There are some very nice girls who are interested in him, though."

"Yes, I saw those girls eying him, too. However, are they interested enough to persuade Don Diego to get married? You know how blind Diego is to a woman's physical attractions," said one of Amand's friends. "The only woman to whom Don Diego has paid any attention is Señorita Escalante."

"And she is already in love with Zorro," pointed out another one.

"Unfortunately, you are right. It would be interesting, though, to see them together."

"I think they'd be perfect for each other," Don Emilio, brother of don Amand said thoughtfully. "They both are good-looking, kind and cheerful. And they are already good friends."

"Yes, and they will never quarrel each. All Señorita Escalante would need to say is "I want it", and Don Diego will jump," Don Amand said. All of the dons laughed, except Don Emilio.

"I wonder about that, little brother," he said. "After all, Diego has been surprisingly stubborn for four years in his refusal to marry, and you know yourself, how persuasive Don Alejandro can be. I would like to see Diego and Senorita Escalante get together," Don Emilio said thoughtfully. "Maybe we could help them along a little."

"That would be a hard job. As unromantic as Don Diego is..." Don Amand said, but Don Emilio disagreed.

"Hey, he once almost got Sergeant Mendoza married."

"You're right. Only it turned out that the woman was married already."

"If you need any help getting Don Diego married, just say the word," another man offered.

"Thank you. Though I don't think Diego will marry any woman unless he's really in love with her," Don Emilio said, looking thoughtfully in Diego's direction. "Come on. Let me tell you how Diego helped me to win the heart of my wife." The disbelieving caballeros followed him from the room.

Victoria was a bit irritated that they were talking about her private life. But then she caught sight of Diego. She just stood where she was for a minute and watched him, considering. She had never thought of her friend as either stubborn or romantic. Nor had she ever really noticed before, just how many girls flocked around him at parties...like tonight. He looked very uncomfortable. Victoria walked nonchalantly over to him and took his arm. She spent the rest of the evening with him. She had a good time, too.

Only later that night, after Diego had conveyed her back to the tavern, she began to think. The young dons had been right. Diego needed to be married. Of course, not to her. She is in love with Zorro, and will wait for him for as long as it takes, despite the passing of time.

_Could Diego be a good husband?_ she asked herself. _Yes_, she decided. _He is kind and gentle. He's wealthy enough to take care of the woman he would marry. It's really a pity that no woman catches his attention, that he doesn't know how it feels to love and to be loved._ Victoria sighed a bit sadly. _However, if I don't want to find myself being matched up with Diego by Don Emilio, I have to find a wife for him myself._

Just then she heard Zorro's voice. She thought that a talk with him would ease her mind; but by the time he left, she was more confused than ever. 

TBC


End file.
